Yesterday, I wrote a blog post about a radio station promotional record from the 1960’s, a record that sang, in less than two minutes, the praises of Albany, New York.
That got the attention of one of my Facebook friends, disc jockey Richie Norris. Norris and I are both former disc jockeys for radio station 3WD, an AM Top 40 station that operated from 1975 to 1988 and today exists as sports talk station WPTR. Yeah, I’m not used to those call letters at THAT position on the radio dial, but it is what it is.
Richie provided me with an MP3 of old 3WD jingles and call signs, and – since it was a rainy night and I didn’t feel like going out to get wet – I decided to combine the jingles with an old 3WD bumper sticker graphic… and after adding another jingle at the end of the clip, I did what anyone else would do.
I uploaded the file to YouTube. Why?
So you can click on the button and actually hear those classic Top 40 jingles and stingers, live from Center City.
Take a listen and enjoy!!
Man, it’s times like this I wish I could just go back to Center City and strap on those headphones, bring the microphone on live, and announce the next batch of hits.
Unfortunately, the broadcast booth is probably now the kitchen at Bombers Burrito Bar.
Chuck The Writer 
Disc-jockeying in the 1970s-early 80s was hands down…fun! I got into the game in 1977 when you were on mic every three minutes (or less). The pay in local radio sucked, but if you were of a certain age (late teens-early 20s), it didn’t matter as you were likely still living with parents. For three years, I had a ball. I’m also a techno-geek, so I loved fixing transmitters and early automation systems. That combination is probably responsible for still being in the game 35 years later. It’s not AS fun as those early years, but still fun.
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Thanks for the memories! I remember 3WD very well. I thought, however, their studio was on the second floor of Proctors Theater. (1240 wasn’t it?) The greats are gone: the original WPTR (long live Boom-Boom Brannigan! With Uncle Don Weeks now retired & other greats like Harry Downie, John Charles Stevenson, the immortal Chanticleer, Geoff Davis, long time morning host on the original WROW AM (“Magic 590) John Mounteer, all gone to the Great Broadcast Booth in the Sky, WGY nothing but right wing talk morning till night w/exception of the irrepressible Joe Gallagher on weekends, WTRY now Sports, original 1540 WPTR gone dark, WEEE 1300 now–gaaack–Talk 1300 also right wing talk from morning till night espec. the insufferable “dumb mean” Paul Vandenburgh, the golden days of radio are gone.
WGY once had big band music, including live broadcasts from the Washington Park Lakehouse bandshell, WOKO, now I believe, Radio Disney, had remotes all over the place 40+ years ago. Pull up, plug in, play radio station! This years before everything was computerized and one wonders if the “hosts” are eve3n live or just voices in a computer. Even WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s programming seems to be so much “in the can,” espec. when Roundtable Host Joe Donahue is on vacation. WMHT FM has become the classical equivalent of Top 40 Radio. Sic transit Gloria juvenalis…. so passes the glory of youth.
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